JACKSON Carlaw has finally called for Dominic Cummings to quit Number 10.
Speaking to STV news, the Scottish Tory leader said Boris Johnson's chief advisor should consider his position.
He said he fully understood Douglas Ross's decision to quit the government over the row.
Carlaw said: "Over the course of the weekend I was really having to come to a view on all of this in the absence of the facts.
"The prime minister had those facts so I very much felt it was a decision for him. Yesterday Mr Cummings spoke and we got a version of events from him. Some people will have found that understandable.
"But I think the reality is this is now consuming the entire debate, distracting away from the principal message and the virus and if I were in his position, if it were me, I would be considering my position."
Asked if Johnson should sack Cummings, Carlaw said he wasn't "going to issue instructions to the prime minister".
He added: "It is absolutely a matter for the Prime Minister himself who serves him and for how long they serve but given the furore, given the distraction we are now in, given the distraction to the prime minister onto this issue if I were Mr Cummings I would be considering my position."
Carlaw admitted that the row was "diluting the message" and "damaging the fight against the virus by distracting the country's attention"
He said he found Cummings' explanation in the Downing Street Rose Garden on Monday night "sincere and heartfelt."
STV's Colin Mackay asked Carlaw is his position was that Cummings should go because he's distraction not because did anything wrong?
"I'm saying that I have heard his version of events. Some people will have found them credible, other people...I think that his position as he articulated it was an understandable one but there clearly is a concern that irrespective of whether or not he acted legally or otherwise, people have to know that everybody is acting without fear or favour with respect to obeying the rules.
"And I think the continuing debate about that is what's creating the distraction. I think we need to turn our attention now to fighting the virus and I think that the way forward is to do what I would do if I were in his position and I would now be considering my position."
Asked if he told Johnson this, Carlaw said his view had "been made clear to Downing St."
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